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To Live and Learn

CHAPTER 3

"Children often make poor soldiers, but they make very great shields."

-Anonymous Vacuan Huntsman

One of the many things I didn't miss from my years at the military academy was waking up early before seven o'clock every weekday. It didn't help that I had some trouble sleeping last night because I was too anxious over what to expect the following day but at least the dangerous environment would be enough to keep me wide awake.

I remember when I was in elementary, I had to wake up at seven-thirty every morning, two hours and a half before school. After I finally graduating both elementary and military school, I was free to wake up any time before noon. Even then, there were some days when I had to rise early as part of Dad's physical exercises, and because my sisters occasionally pranked me during that time of the day. The difference is that they only happen from time to time, here you have to be awake just in time before class for five days straight every week.

I grumbled as I took my scroll under the pillow to turn off the alarm before looking around the ballroom to see what everyone was up to. Some of them were still asleep while others had woken up, two of them, in particular, would be a fan of mine and her stoic friend.

"It's morning! It's morning! It's morning!" Nora sang, dancing around Ren.

I rose from my futon and headed to the locker room. I wasn't able to notice how much of a confusing mess the locker arrangements were until then. It was too dark to notice them during the previous night and I was more concerned about contacting my sister to be aware of it. This was much worse if you assigned yourself with a relatively higher locker number; in my case locker 636, and I felt like I was navigating through a maze. Eventually, I managed to find my locker and had the place marked on my scroll map so I don't have to get lost trying to look for it anymore.

I took a shower and then changed to my usual jeans and hoodie, which has the print of Pumpkin Pete exposed because I was not wearing my breastplate to cover it. While childish, it wasn't as cringe-worthy as my pajamas. I left my armor in the locker because I didn't need it until I was done taking breakfast so I could prepare for the initiation. There was no use for it at the moment and I'd hate to be that guy who wears his armor 24/7 in a non-combat area just to show off. [1]

I've always been fond of Pumpkin Pete for whatever reason. I've been attached to him ever since I was an infant, even going as far as to cheese a limited-time offer by dumping fifty boxes worth of Marshmallow Flakes into plastic containers just so I could submit the box tops and win the hoodie I was wearing. I also remember getting a stuffed toy of him on my sixth birthday and then seeing Rouge crucify him a few days after. It didn't do much damage though, even if he now had holes on his paws, it wasn't anything Viola could fix. At least she didn't burn the cross while he was on it, that would have been offensively annoying.

The cafeteria was nice and clean. With long columns of tables, it somewhat resembles that of a stretched-out dining hall. Approaching the cook at the side of the cafeteria, I thought of something to eat only for a certain beverage to be the only thing that came to my mind. "So… does this place have any tanna leaf tea?" [2] I asked. Tea is Vale's national drink, after all, they should be at least familiar with what it is despite its lack of fame.

"Tanna?" The lunch lady raised her brow in confusion. "What you're asking for is too niche, lad. We don't serve that junk here."

I'm not going to deny its rather subjective taste. I just figured that drinking it would help me stay awake because regardless of its taste, it's hard to stop drinking after taking a single sip. No wonder why Dad obsesses over these things and why I ended up sharing his taste for them. "Just curious," I said, a little disappointed that it's not available here. Looks like I'll just have to take a few months without taking a sip of some. I can live without it for a bit but the lack of tanna was not something I was happy about. "An egg sandwich and a cup of coffee would do."

She complied with my order and went to the kitchen. While waiting at the counter, I decided to look back for a moment and saw that Nora was still talking to Ren, even with a pancake hanging in her mouth. She slurped the rest of her food making her much easier to hear.

"Oohhhh! We should come up with some sort of plan, to make sure we end up on the same team together! What if we bribe the headmaster? No, that won't work, he has the school."

Apparently, someone's been spreading rumors about teams. But by the looks of it, they seem to only have the faintest idea of how they are formed, and I could only wish these two luck with whatever they plan on doing because I don't plan on spoiling it to anyone.

After I finished my meal, I headed back to the locker room and grabbed my gear, putting on my breast and shoulder plates and placing my scabbard on my belt. I took my sword and gave it a few spins before sheathing it.

As I was walking my way out of the locker room, I noticed Pyrrha and the infamous ice queen of dust and tantrums were having an exchange. It was almost impossible to pass them without hearing their conversation. "Well... I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together," Weiss proposed.

"Well, that sounds grand!" Pyrrha replied though it seems as if she only answered that to humor her. But I doubt she had a humble enough ego to even notice that, she probably uses it to compensate for her short height and small chest. [3]

"Great!"

Pyrrha greeted me as soon as she saw me passing through. "Hello again, Jaune!" Her hands were waving at me with Weiss scowling at my presence, unsurprisingly.

I stopped my tracks and returned the gesture. "Morning to you too, Pyrrha." Looking at her face for a moment, I was able to recall that she was also the woman on the fifty cereal boxes I sent to win my hoodie. I couldn't even believe it; a beautiful, talented woman like her would've been the last person to sell out to a brand of breakfast mostly aimed at kids.

Killing shadow thingies plaguing the entire world with stuff your parents warned you about while beating up other people in a fighting ring, brought to you by Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes!

Pyrrha then tried to introduce me to the person she was talking to, but I already knew who she was, unfortunately, if I might add. "Oh Jaune, I'd like you to meet—"

"Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust Company" I interjected, smirking at the white-haired ice-queen. "We have met before,"

She folded her arms. "Seriously? You again?"

Good to see you too, I thought with a smirk. It felt like my mere presence just ruined her day. Since it bothered her that much, I just ran with it.

"So, are you ready for the initiation?" Pyrrha asked.

"I'm looking forward to it," I said with false confidence. Even with the information I got from Bleu, I still wasn't certain about what I was about to drag myself into. I just couldn't shake the feeling of adrenaline pumping in my veins as my palms sweat no matter how much I prepare myself.

"That's good. So Jaune, is there anyone you plan to partner up with?"

"No, I don't think so. Play your cards right and maybe you'll end up with me," I smirked, giving her the impression that I knew what I was doing and that I had nothing to worry about.

"That would be great! Well, I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so—" Pyrrha said before getting interrupted by Weiss as she stepped forward in front of her.

"Hold on, I thought you acknowledged yesterday that you're not worth Pyrrha's time. I don't think you deserve to be on the same team as her either."

"Actually I'd think he'd make a great teammate," Pyrrha leaned from Weiss's side.

I couldn't help but agree with Weiss, however. I believed that I would just drag her down because my lack of willingness would probably ruin her record as an upstanding warrior. Despite this, I decided to respond with something that wouldn't cause too much stir nor would it make me sound too pathetic that it undermines my image. "Eh. We'll see, we'll see, the winner gets tea that's for sure," I shrugged.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked, looking puzzled before rolling her eyes. "Whatever. Come on, Pyrrha, they'll be waiting for us at the cliff," she said before leaving. I'll let her have it for now. The more they think they're above you the easier they are to manipulate, and right now, she sees me as nothing more than a blond idiot, and I'll keep it that way for the moment.

Pyrrha reluctantly followed her. "I'll see you at the initiation!" she said to me before catching up with Weiss's pace.

I took the time to appreciate their gorgeous rears as they walked toward the exit. If anyone told me sooner that Beacon would be chock-full of attractive Huntresses, I would have laughed at them for trying to lure me here, it would turn out that they were right. It seems that being in this academy does have a silver lining after all.

"Whatcha doing there, Lady-Killer?" Yang suddenly asked, popping out of nowhere with Ruby catching up behind her, much to my dismay.

"Gah! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

She looked at my line of sight and saw Weiss and Pyrrha leaving the room and gave a teasing grin. "Ooohhh! Been trying to win over the ice queen and the cereal girl, aren't you?"

Well, a part of that was true in a sense, I'll have to admit but judging by her tone, she was getting the wrong idea. "It's nothing like that. Really, we just talked about teams, that's all."

"Cool!" Ruby squealed in delight. "Want to be on our team? We're currently recruiting."

"That sounds great! Where do I sign up?" I said, pretending to have no clue about how the teams are formed. I didn't mind being in her team at all, provided she would make an effective companion. A girl that looks about as young as her wasn't accepted to Beacon without a good reason. [4]

"Awesome! We are going to be the best team ever!" Ruby chirped before we heard Ms. Goodwitch's voice on the P.A.

"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."

This is where the fun begins, I thought, taking a deep breath. "Come on, let's go," I told the sisters as we headed to the Beacon Cliff. I was satisfied with the amicable acquaintances I made, now the only thing I hoped was that they would be useful pawns and meatshields that would significantly increase my chances of survival.

=o=

1. Actually, it's a common practice for knights and warriors to wear their armor for long periods, which occasionally lasts for days. This helps them get accustomed to their weight and heat while exercising their mobility when wearing it.

2. A tea made from leaves of plants native to the ice caverns on Morosco. It's rather obscure and unpopular outside its homeland, even in other parts of Solitas.

3. I never understood people's obsessive appeal for female breasts. They're mostly just mere body fat if you think deeply about it.

4. An average age of a freshman attending Beacon is around 17 years old. Ruby was only 15 at the time but she was able to impress Ozpin enough and invited her to the academy as a prodigy.

When we arrived at the cliff, we saw Miss Goodwitch and several other students waiting for the initiation to start. We were told to stand on individual metal plates which have the emblem of Vale on them and I correctly assumed that these would be the ones catapulting us into the forest. Shortly after, The Great Powerful Ozpin arrived with a mug of coffee[1] in his hand.

"Is everyone present?" he walked in front of us, looking around to see if anyone was missing. "Good, let us begin." He took a sip of his coffee before giving a speech. "For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

Miss Goodwitch stepped in. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams'." With that, everyone stopped at whatever they were doing and paid extra attention. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion—each of you will be given teammates... today."

"What?! Oh." Ruby cried, sounding about as shocked as most of the students there. Meanwhile, I just kept a straight face, knowing this already.

Ozpin spoke again. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

"Whaaaat?!" Ruby howled with a shocked expression as if her whole world broke around her.

"See? I told you!" A voice called out which was unmistakably Nora's, contrasting a confounded Ruby.

Ozpin continued. "After you have partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."

Of all the things he just said, that last part was the one that bothered me the most. The thing about combat schools is that they're dangerous enough that you could get killed as early as initiation. [2] I gave a nervous laugh before gulping at the thought. I'm pretty sure that the academy's policy stated that they are not responsible for a student's death or injury because they enter the academy knowing what risks they have to take to become a Huntsman.

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

A lot of them actually, I was wondering if he enjoys watching us suffer while standing back drinking coffee because I was getting that suspicious aura from him. Better yet, what did he put in his coffee that made him think that this was a clever idea? And how many students died during the initiation? I swear, I was one slip of a tongue away from actually asking those things.

"Good! Now, take your positions."

As everyone prepares themselves to be launched, I unsheathe my sword and just tell myself to remember what Dad had taught me. This was the day that I have been anxiously anticipating and it was time to make sure that my preparations paid off. Don't freak out, I silently muttered to myself.

Weiss was the first person to be catapulted to the forest, followed by others, then Ren and Nora. The next person to be launched was Yang, she gave Ruby a wink before putting on a pair of aviators and then flying off with an audible 'Woohoo!'.

At first, I thought that she put on those sunglasses to show off, after all, given her personality from what I've seen of her, it sounded like something she would do. Then it hit me, she wore those so she could avoid making eye contact with anyone she doesn't want to be paired up with because you technically couldn't see her eyes when wearing them. Clever girl. She's turning out to be smarter than I thought. [3]

Ruby gave me a thumbs up before getting launched as well.

Before I knew it, I also found myself flying in the air. I managed to restrain my urge to scream and focused on getting a safe landing, finding a good spot that might be a good place to drop myself at. I was able to notice that my acquaintances were descending around the area; since I intend to team up with one or more of them, I glided down as well. As I got closer to the ground I grabbed the nearest tree branch I was falling to and spun until I was able to shake off my momentum.

So far, so good, I thought to myself. I hung around for a few seconds before letting go of the branch and landed on my feet unscathed. The first step went better than expected. I did not appreciate being thrown off to such a height while being expected to land safely but that part was finally over.

The next thing I needed to do was to find a partner, then look for the temple, then take a relic and get the hell out of there all while having to deal with Grimm and allies that could potentially turn out to be uncooperative.

Just as when I thought about the Grimm, I heard an animalistic growl coming from my back. I slowly turned around and saw a small pack of Beowolves, consisting of at least seven of them. Indeed, I made a successful landing—at what happened to be one of the worst parts of the forest.

"Umm... hi." I nervously greeted them, not that it helped me at all. My large pool of aura and all the negative energy they could smell from me were enough to make me feel like I was an exquisite dish for them. Forests and Beowolves going together didn't exactly give me the happiest thoughts so there was no reason for me to have not immediately run out of there as fast as I could.

Wonderful, not one minute in on this stupid test of skill, and I'm already chased by a Beowolf pack. I was off to a great start, I sarcastically said to myself.

I tried to wave my arms and called for help—no one answered, either because there weren't any human beings nearby or they just couldn't bother to help. Either way, I was on my own. [4]

I eventually got tired of running and the pack was still after me. I decided to put my training to good use since I thought no one was coming. I have dealt with a few Beos[5] back at Pucelle so I thought that this shouldn't be any different at all.

Raising my shield, I turned back as I used it to bash the Beowolf when it tried to pounce in my direction before thrusting my sword to its face. The second Beo tried to lunge toward me. I dashed back right on time and slashed it down. The next one raised its claw as it attempted to clobber me only for me to successfully block it with my shield before decapitating its arm with my sword and then using it to stab the Beo in its chest.

Two Beos stood on my front and in my back respectively, so I charged at the one on the front and hit its head with my shield then slashed the one on the back. I returned my attention to the staggered former, slicing its head off before turning around and giving the latter a few more slashes.

I went on the offensive with the last two, slicing one of them down before it could even attack. I bashed the last one with my shield twice before shaving its head off. Their corpses evaporated as I panted. I could feel the Great Powerful Ozpin writing down his plans for me while he takes yet another sip of his coffee.

Suddenly, I heard a friendly voice praising me. "That was amazing!" Turning around, I saw Pyrrha approaching me as she emerged from a bush. That's a relief, not only I'll be on her team, but I'm going to be her partner as well. Considering her past achievements and records, she's the ideal partner for getting me out alive in combat situations. The bad news was—she just saw me single-handedly slaughter a whole pack of Beowolves, giving her an impression of a competent Huntsman who didn't need any help.

"Uhh, it's nothing! Really! They're just Beowolves, one of the weakest Grimm there is." I said, hoping it doesn't sound like I was bragging. "So—it's nothing to be impressed about... at all!"

She tilted her head in confusion before giggling. "Oh, don't be like that. It's pretty impressive how you handled them, most people could only take out a few before giving in. I was so worried that I was about to step in, but you held your ground and prevailed."

I was... dumbstruck upon hearing that. She implied if I had run and screamed for a little longer, I didn't have to deal with all of those stupid Beos alone. It could have saved my energy but what was done was done and being able to win with my first encounter with Grimm as a student of Beacon was the only thing that mattered to me.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" she asked. "Skills like those can only be acquired from such experiences."

"I learned from the best." I smiled. I have to give it to my Dad, even if it's partially his fault that I am stuck here, he still made sure I'm prepared, Huntsman or not. Not many Huntsmen get to boast about getting training from the best of the best after all. "So I guess we're partners now."

"I guess we are. It's an honor to be fighting by your side, Jaune."

"Good to have you too. I needed someone of your talents." By that, I mean I really needed her. An undefeated champion was the best partner I could have in regards to surviving the academy and it felt like I just hit the jackpot. As a bonus, she's pretty good-looking too, so I also get to have some eye candy while being partnered with her.

She was flattered by that compliment that I could feel her blush. I decided that we stood there long enough and that we should carry on. "Let's get moving. The temple shouldn't be far out."

She nodded as we headed north toward our objective. I heard some people calling Pyrrha the Goddess of victory. If that's true, then it means I can't lose so long as she's with me. A goddess guiding me to victory is something I need to get through Beacon in one piece and I'm going to take advantage of that as much as I could.

Though if she really is a goddess, I hope she's more useful than the last one I got.

Freaking Aqua, that dumb bimbo. [6]

=o=

1. Despite what most people believe, he actually drinks hot chocolate instead of coffee.

2. Although rare, there are a few students who died during the initiation at Beacon, either due to poor luck or stupidity, but mostly the latter.

3. Headmaster Ozpin soon noticed this and immediately banned concealing eyewear for the next initiation to 'preserve the unpredictability of team matchmaking'.

4. I actually witnessed him fleeing from the Beowolves. I simply chose not to intervene because I did not want to be paired with him at the time, especially since his call for help did not give me a good impression. Hence, why I ended up with Ruby despite my initial protests.

5. A shortened nickname for the Beowolf. Interestingly, 'Beowolf' itself, along with most other well-known Grimm designations are actually reporting names. For instance, the Beowolf's official designation is 'Lupus Umbra', which means 'Shadow Wolf'. These names are rarely used outside studies involving Grimm, leading their reporting names to be more familiar to both Huntsmen and civilians alike especially since they are often easier to pronounce.

6. Apparently, one of Jaune's former dates in his pre-Beacon life. He never formed a serious relationship with any of them, and judging by his entries in older journals which I am not going to disclose at the moment, I can see why.